United Airlines opens direct flight Milan Malpensa-Washington from 2027
The new route is part of the international expansion announced by the US company for 2027 and will add a nonstop connection between the US capital and the main intercontinental airport in the Milan area.
United specifies that it will be the only company to directly connect Washington, D.C. and Milan. The new service adds to the routes already operated by the carrier to Italy and further strengthens Milan Malpensa's role in the transatlantic network.
Milan Malpensa directly connected with Washington Dulles
The new flight will be operated between Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Milan Malpensa (MXP) three times a week starting May 28, 2027. For Italian passengers, the main novelty will be the possibility of reaching Washington, D.C. directly without having to make an intermediate stopover in the United States or another European hub.
Washington Dulles is also one of United Airlines' main hubs. The connection can therefore also be used as an access point to the company's domestic and international network, with the possibility of continuing to other destinations in the United States and the Americas.
United further strengthens its presence in Italy
The new connection from Washington is part of United's broader growth in the Italian market.
In the international program for 2027, the company also announced two new Italian destinations from its Newark hub: Olbia, connected three times a week from May 27, and Catania, served four times a week from May 28.
United will also confirm for summer 2027 the Newark - Bari connection, introduced in the 2026 season. The company said that, with the new schedule, it will serve more Italian destinations non-stop from the United States than any other American carrier.
The strategy therefore expands the carrier's presence beyond the traditional gateways of Rome and Milan, also including destinations with a strong leisure vocation such as Sardinia, Sicily and Puglia.
United's international expansion for 2027
The Washington-Milan flight is part of a larger plan that United defines as the largest international expansion in its history. For 2027, the company has announced ten new international cities and three new routes to destinations already in its network. In addition to Washington-Milan, the latter include Los Angeles-Osaka and Denver-Paris.
The new destinations include, among others, Toulouse, Luxembourg, Marseille, Ibiza, Valencia, Ljubljana, Olbia and Catania. United also plans to use the new Airbus A321XLR on some of the announced European routes.
